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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 120 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

Words on the sheet
468
Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: squash · content · file · pound · can · lie · lash · coach

  1. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  2. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  3. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  4. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  5. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  6. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  7. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  8. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  9. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  10. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  11. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  12. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  13. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  14. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  15. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  16. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  17. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  18. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  19. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  20. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  21. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  22. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  23. Have you met the new head ________________?
  24. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. file — a document
  2. can — to be able to
  3. lash — a whip stroke
  4. squash — the vegetable
  5. lie — an untruth
  6. content — happy
  7. pound — for dogs
  8. lash — to lash out
  9. lie — an untruth
  10. can — a tin
  11. squash — to crush
  12. pound — a weight
  13. coach — a trainer
  14. pound — to hit hard
  15. squash — the sport
  16. file — a line of people
  17. can — a tin
  18. lie — to recline
  19. content — the amount
  20. file — a tool
  21. lash — an eyelash
  22. coach — pulled by horses
  23. coach — a trainer
  24. content — videos and posts

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com